This article**[China Youth Daily client];
China Youth Daily, Beijing, February 13 (China Youth Daily, China Youth Network reporter Zhao Anqi) On February 12, local time, Yang Qing, a climate analyst at the headquarters of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, ate a Chinese meal of "Spring Festival special" for the Year of the Dragon in the canteen of the bank's headquarters in London, England. She told the reporter of China Youth Daily and China Youth Network that this year is the first time that the canteen of the bank headquarters has appeared "Spring Festival special", with Dongpo meat, crispy tofu, spring rolls, fried rice, etc., and the menu of the canteen also indicates the Spring Festival of the Year of the Dragon, and even the door of the kitchen is pasted with Spring Festival couplets and blessings.
Headquartered in London, UK, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is one of the world's foremost regional development finance institutions. In 2016, China officially became a member of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Yang Qing said that there are not many Chinese employees in the London headquarters at present, and she is currently the only Chinese employee in her department. To celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Dragon, she brought some red envelopes and "lucky bags" from China, which contained candy, panda stickers and blessing stickers, and distributed them to colleagues in the office as New Year gifts. "Because there are fewer employees in China and there are not many business contacts, some of my colleagues don't know much about Chinese New Year and don't know much about traditional Chinese culture, so I also took this opportunity to introduce them to Chinese New Year culture. Yang Qing said.
People will ask me how Chinese celebrate the Spring Festival, and they will also be interested in the Chinese zodiac, and they will be amazed that CCTV Spring Festival Gala broke the Guinness World Record. A Turkish colleague received a red envelope from me to Wishing you prosperity, and he was happy all day after learning the meaning. This year is the first time that the Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) has been listed on the United Nations festival calendar, and Yang Qing is very proud and proud of it, "Being recognized by international organizations shows that our cultural influence is expanding, and it is also a reflection of our cultural self-confidence." ”
Every year, London hosts the world's largest Lunar New Year celebration outside of Asia, and this year's celebrations are extraordinary. On the morning of February 11, local time, the 2024 London New Year Celebration was held in Trafalgar Square, London, bringing people a cheerful New Year's greeting. Chinese Ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang and his wife Counselor Hua Mei, Chairman of the London Chinatown Chamber of Commerce Deng Zhuting, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Mayor of Westminster McAllister and other Chinese and foreign guests gathered together to celebrate the arrival of the Spring Festival. Nearly a million visitors enjoyed the grand dragon and lion dances, folk performances and parades.
Yang Qing told a reporter from China Youth Network and China Youth Daily that London's New Year's atmosphere is very full, and Chinatown is crowded with people, which is very spectacular, and many of her foreign colleagues choose to go to Chinatown during the Spring Festival to feel the unique "New Year's flavor" of the Chinese New Year.